5 Must-See TV and Movie Trailers: ‘The Defenders’ and More

Trailers are as much a part of the movie-going experience nowadays as the films themselves. There’s something incomparably exciting about seeing what amounts to a two-minute sizzle reel of a release’s best scenes. It’s why trailer culture has proliferated into what it is today; even the release date of a short teaser is a day to look forward to. To get you in the spirit, our team gathers together the best trailers the internet has to offer, delivering all the teasers you can possibly handle in one place every week.

1. Suicide Squad

Warner Bros. Entertainment has turned the marketing push for Suicide Squad to critical mass. In just the last few weeks, we’ve seen a collection of Hot Topic-esque artwork, a promotional track from Skrillex and Rick Ross, and now, a collection of character-specific trailers. The teasers are each a minute long, focusing in on Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and of course, the Joker (Jared Leto). The rest of the team gets a 19 to 20 second spot each, giving us a solid look at what’s in store for the August 5 release.

For the Joker’s trailer (above), we get all sorts of new, never-before-seen footage of the Clown Prince of Crime. More than that, it focuses in on his relationship with the incarcerated Harley Quinn and his quest to free her from prison. How that will play into the bigger Suicide Squad narrative isn’t entirely clear, but it looks to be a large piece of the greater puzzle.

2. The Defenders

The Defenders may be over a year away from its Netflix premiere, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early for a release of the first teaser. This one comes to us straight from San Diego’s Comic-Con and runs almost a full minute. Still, it’s pretty scarce on details, panning over a series of obscured logos for each of our heroes, paired with a voiceover from Stick (Scott Glenn) asking our four heroes if they think they can save New York. Additionally, this suggests that at least for now, the Punisher won’t be added to The Defenders lineup, with the team composed of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist.

3. The Magnificent Seven

Of all the various remakes and reboots on the docket for Hollywood right now, there are few that have us as excited as we are for Antoine Fuqua’s Magnificent Seven. From a classic Western aesthetic to an A-list cast, it’s a film that truly has everything. If the latest trailer is any indicator, it’s going to be awesome. It’s also not hurt by the ageless Denzel Washington leading the bill. All in all, there’s a lot to look forward to as we await its September 23 premiere.

4. Iron Fist

It’s not just The Defenders that’s grabbing our attention at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend. Marvel’s Iron Fist, while mired in controversy surrounding its casting of Finn Jones as Danny Rand, still looks to be every bit as intriguing as its other Marvel companions on Netflix’s streaming service. The showrunner is Scott Buck, who is known for his work on projects like Dexter and Six Feet Under. The trailer itself gives us our first glance at Jones in his titular role, albeit in a brief, bearded, and silent form. Hopefully there’ll be more to come down the line, but for now this will have to tide us over until Luke Cage debuts on September 30.

5. Snowden

It’s not all superhero shows coming out of Comic-Con this weekend. Rounding out our trailers this week is Snowden, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. It should be interesting to see how Oliver Stone’s film tackles a potentially touchy subject. In addition, the film could go in a number of different directions. We could get a movie that glorifies Snowden uncovering invasive wiretapping by the U.S. government, or one that demonizes him for releasing classified information that put others in danger. More likely, we’ll get something in between the two extremes.